In a day packed with high political drama, Saturday saw rumours running thick and fast about some “rebel” MLAs of the ruling coalition being lured away to a resort outside the State by the Opposition BJP to bring down the government, and the Congress and JD(S) rubbishing them as “false” and “malicious”.

Rumour mills began to spin early in the day after a video of Congress MLAs K. Sudhakar and M.T.B. Nagaraj, both aspirants for Cabinet berths, and Independent MLA for Mulbagal H. Nagesh travelling out of the city together going viral.

This set off speculation that they were headed to a resort in Mumbai via Chennai and some others (who remained unnamed) were already there. However, sources within the Congress said that some MLAs were trying to mount pressure on the coalition partners ahead of the Cabinet expansion exercise. Both the ruling parties have decided to expand the Cabinet only after the Legislative Council polls on October 4. Sources said that the party is unlikely to bow down to such pressure tactics. Later in the evening, both Congress and JD(S) senior leaders dismissed all rumours of any legislator changing loyalties.